Personal computers today are not only popular, they have become in many ways a necessity for businesses, families, educational institutions and individuals involved with those various activities. Hard drive memory capacities on personal computers, however, are limited. A number of technologies are available to assist with enhanced use of memory space and flexibility in using and transmitting to other people, businesses or locations information stored on one's computer. The most popular of these is the computer disk.
A computer disk is a small, wafer-thin object on which information can be stored electronically. Disk sizes and formats vary. When personal computers first became popular, the five and one quarter inch floppy disk was most frequently used. That disk, now thought to be too large and too easily damaged because of its flexibility, was replaced by a smaller, more rigid three and one-half inch disk, more commonly known as a diskette. Additionally, compact laser disks are also used to store information digitally for electronic transmission via computer, affording the same if not enhanced features as the diskette.
A key feature of the computer disk technologies is their portability. Particularly with the increasing use of laptop computers, the smaller, lighter weight and more durable the information storage unit is, the more reliable and useful one's computer becomes. Consequently, the downloading and transfer of information via personal computers has increased dramatically and with it, the need for memory has also increased. The need for more memory is addressed significantly by the computer disk technologies. Presently, these disks are available from commercial retail operators, but the locations and office hours of these retailers is limited.
The present invention focuses on addressing the availability of computer disks through vending machine as opposed to retail access. Vending machines as vending systems have been disclosed for a wide variety of products. U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,697, for example, teaches a vending apparatus comprised of a cabinet, product data memory storage means, visual or audio sampling means, selection means, means for paying for the item and dispensing means. One object of this invention is to vend automatically a great variety of goods from a single machine. However, in its attempt to cover a broad base of goods, the vending machine disclosed is too large, too complicated and too impractical to service the modern market of consumers. This invention does not address computer related products but, rather, product variety as its primary inventive aspect.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,319 discloses a vending machine specifically designed for audio works. It is designed to allow the consumer to sample musical or other audio selections before actually purchasing the product, thereby filling a distinct gap in the vending machine market which otherwise does not allow for product sampling before purchase. This invention is a combination of relatively conventional vending machine mechanics with unconventional sound enhancement functions to allow for audio sampling of products dispensed. The present invention does not anticipate audio sampling of products to be dispensed through the vending machine.
There also is a body of prior art which addresses vending machines and vending systems pertaining to audiovisual and computer software products. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,295, for example, a vending machine is disclosed which dispenses audio compact disks, video cassettes and other electronic data storage devices. This patent, as with patent '697, involves sampling means for viewing or listening to a selection before it is selected. Consequently, the vending machine and system are much more expensive to manufacture and complicated compared to the present invention.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,654,799 and 4,674,055 involve automated computer software vending systems in which individual user consumers connect with a host system so that the consumer does not need any kind of a conventional data storage device but, rather, dials in to the host system either from an office location or modem and the software purchased is transmitted to the consumer via telecommunications. This technology serves a different function than the present invention in that it provides software, not memory tools such as storage disks, and transmits products purchased electronically by computer to computer connections rather than conventional vending machine purchase. Similarly, another automated merchandising system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,257 comprised of software which allows for remote software purchases by dialing in to a host system for sampling selections and transmitting actual selections of software purchases, then transmitting the software selected directly from the host to the purchaser's computer. These systems do not address sale or vending of memory enhancing devices or products such as computer disks.
Although the prior art discussed here advances the art of vending machines and vending machine systems by making additional features available such as sound and video product sampling before actual selection, it does not relate to making computer memory enhancing products such as disks available specifically through vending machine means. Portable computer information storage means such as disks do not require product sampling before purchase, but would require specially designed vending systems for dispensing such products from a vending machine.
Therefore, one object of the present invention is to enhance the availability of computer memory through information storage disks made available by disk vending machines.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine which does not drop storage products to a dispensing bin, thereby avoiding the possibility of damage to the disk upon release from a storage rack.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer storage disk vending machine which is capable of dispensing a variety of disk storage devices.
Yet another object of the present invention is to increase computer use, computer memory capacities and convenience by making available vending machine access to information storage disks in compact, easy to manufacture, mechanically streamlined vending machines.
Still another object of the present invention is to improve upon computer disk availability by providing low cost vending machines for dispensing these disks.